Champions Online will be receiving major content updates every three months according to some statements made by Cryptic Studios' Jack Emmert in a recent VG247 podcast.

Jack does caution that they may have to scale the schedule down to three updates a year, however, stating, "I think our battle plan is four a year, but we might have to scale that down to three a year; I don’t know”.

Via VG247.

Nice cant see this being a problem, they did it with COX.

Congratulations CO, you now have finally announced you will give standard P2P update quality, I understand why the need to make a news article just for that, I guess there were many people worried.

Even Darkfall (indy company, theorically low budget) has that.

Yeah right, it ll be just like with any other game. At first its every 3 months, then "further polishing and better features take more time" gets throw around and it becomes 4-5 months, for less content than before (because they ran out of pre-produced leftovers from beta/alpha phases or cut stuff) with lots of bugs, and ends up with a patch around the release date of a major competitor, roughly every 6 months just like WoW or LotRO.

Wow, those lizard people are getting pretty good at looking human.

When he rips his face off and eats you, don't say I didn't warn you.

***They gave you this picture to use specifically didn't they? Yeah of course they did. I love how they got him to look as sincere as possible. It's scary.

Lizard people I tell ya.

 If they scale it back from 4 to 3 a year it's because they gimped the head start players and they need more time to balance everything. You can't add new content when you can't even figure out how strong/weak a character should be.

What worries me is that no where in that article did they say that these updates will be free.

This is what Bill Roper announced to us when he was CEO of Flagship. I wonder where Jack is getting his ideas from, hmmm. The first time they do not deliver on this promise all hell will be breaking loose guaranteed.

Will see, i hope they stick to their promises.  I dont think will ever see a game company do as good as Turbine with Asheron's Call, new content each and every months.

I hope they will keep this promise. As of now I feel this game is much like CoH, not so surpricing since its the same studio developing the game...

I also hope they will make a more varied gameplay than CoH was... That game is just too much of the same!

Originally posted by SaintViktor

This is what Bill Roper announced to us when he was CEO of Flagship. I wonder where Jack is getting his ideas from, hmmm. The first time they do not deliver on this promise all hell will be breaking loose guaranteed.

Perhaps he got the idea, like so many others, from his first game, City of Heroes, hmmmm.

Originally posted by jinxit

Nice cant see this being a problem, they did it with COX.

There will, of course, be idiots complaining about it.  CoH has had 3 a year.  It wouldn't surprise me if they dropped it back to that.  Which means 1 every 4 months.

Originally posted by Manchine

Originally posted by jinxit

Nice cant see this being a problem, they did it with COX.

 

There will, of course, be idiots complaining about it.  CoH has had 3 a year.  It wouldn't surprise me if they dropped it back to that.  Which means 1 every 4 months.

People who like to complain will find something to complain about -- it's a given.  It's kind of like people complaining that CO didn't have as many pieces per costume slot as CoX.....it's like arguing that CO doesn't have as much content as Everquest currently does.  Again, people like to complain.

Originally posted by TsukieU

What worries me is that no where in that article did they say that these updates will be free.

Smacks head into wall...

Really?

Yesterday they announced the first FREE content update which should occur sometime around halloween.  Today they announce their content update schedule, which includes the one they are already talking about, for FREE.  Serriously, it's not that hard to figure this out.

Their MT model is not some evil scheme to make you sub and then pay for everything.  It's optional, and replaces some grinding for  items you can mostly get in game.  So far everything the doomsayers have claimed has been false.  Content updates: free.  Respecs: free.  Pay for new powersets: free.

I really don't see this changing either.  It's just an ingame version of what CoH, WoW, and other games already have.  It's not that big of a deal.  However, put the tin foil hat on, and worry away.

My only real concern is the longevity and the amount of content they can put out.  The game is pretty polished for a release, it's hellishly fun, and there is a large variety in how characters can be built and played.  So far it's been a total blast.

CO kicks ass.  New changes are great regardless of compaints.  Game needed tweaking, no character should be able to level to half its cap in 2 days and lots were.    Even though I liked leveling fast I do realize long term its not in mine or anyones best interest in order to keep game long terms interest and goal.  I do wish there were a manual explaining the details of characteristics and their strenths to tweak in order to survive soloing.    After keeping an eye on character overview screen, tweaking for balance my char is surviving better than ever.  Still very challenging but not dying all the time anymore.  I am confident the game will only improve dramatically over time.  Its really only been 2 full days since official release and no one can assess and adjust issues without the large population CO now has.   New content every 3 months is needed to keep CO's replay value in tact.  Rerolling chars, which people are doing to check out all the different powers and variations of  enhancing powers and charicters would get monotinous without new content to run through.  Thanks very much for the best mmo I have played in the 3 1/2 decades of gaming.   I realize its not for everyone but there are countless other mmo's to play if thats the case.  Others comming out as well.  No reason to bash co.  Just quitely walk away, play the game youve been playing you like better.  Simple.

Originally posted by Khaunshar

Yeah right, it ll be just like with any other game. At first its every 3 months, then "further polishing and better features take more time" gets throw around and it becomes 4-5 months, for less content than before (because they ran out of pre-produced leftovers from beta/alpha phases or cut stuff) with lots of bugs, and ends up with a patch around the release date of a major competitor, roughly every 6 months just like WoW or LotRO.

 

Or it could say they would give content updates every month and hold true to that promise for 10 years like Asheron's Call. They missed a handful of months over the entire 10 years. It is possible to do.

I'm very glad this game will recieve updates every 3 months. Loving CO right now, one of the best MMORPG's I've played so far, alongside EVE Online, EQ2, COH, and Dark Age of Camelot.

Expect nerfs every week.

Originally posted by bstripp

Originally posted by TsukieU

What worries me is that no where in that article did they say that these updates will be free.

 

Smacks head into wall...

Really?

Yesterday they announced the first FREE content update which should occur sometime around halloween.  Today they announce their content update schedule, which includes the one they are already talking about, for FREE.  Serriously, it's not that hard to figure this out.

Their MT model is not some evil scheme to make you sub and then pay for everything.  It's optional, and replaces some grinding for  items you can mostly get in game.  So far everything the doomsayers have claimed has been false.  Content updates: free.  Respecs: free.  Pay for new powersets: free.

I really don't see this changing either.  It's just an ingame version of what CoH, WoW, and other games already have.  It's not that big of a deal.  However, put the tin foil hat on, and worry away.

My only real concern is the longevity and the amount of content they can put out.  The game is pretty polished for a release, it's hellishly fun, and there is a large variety in how characters can be built and played.  So far it's been a total blast.

Ahem.

“We are definitely planning on making them paid expansions", Emmert said.

Originally posted by TsukieU

Originally posted by bstripp

Originally posted by TsukieU

What worries me is that no where in that article did they say that these updates will be free.

 

Smacks head into wall...

Really?

Yesterday they announced the first FREE content update which should occur sometime around halloween.  Today they announce their content update schedule, which includes the one they are already talking about, for FREE.  Serriously, it's not that hard to figure this out.

Their MT model is not some evil scheme to make you sub and then pay for everything.  It's optional, and replaces some grinding for  items you can mostly get in game.  So far everything the doomsayers have claimed has been false.  Content updates: free.  Respecs: free.  Pay for new powersets: free.

I really don't see this changing either.  It's just an ingame version of what CoH, WoW, and other games already have.  It's not that big of a deal.  However, put the tin foil hat on, and worry away.

My only real concern is the longevity and the amount of content they can put out.  The game is pretty polished for a release, it's hellishly fun, and there is a large variety in how characters can be built and played.  So far it's been a total blast.

 

Ahem.

“We are definitely planning on making them paid expansions", Emmert said

 

 

 

actually that ^ is mis quoted  it said.  “We are definitely planning on doing” paid expansions, Emmert said

It will have both just like WoW does CoH does Ultima Online does Everquest does.  Some content upgrades free some boxed you have to pay for. It is nothing new

Heh, glad to see I'm not the only one who's first thought was, "Yeah, and Asheron's Call's been doing monthly for 10 years..." Heck, even Turbine doesn't hold themselves to that standard with their later games. AC2, DDO and LotRO all didn't have such a promise to maintain. ;)